Identification number: OSI_PIP_BioPhoT-2025/1-0051
Type: National Research Program - BioPhoT project
Duration: 01.10.2025. - 30.09.2026.
Project manager: Dr.phys. Anatolijs Šarakovskis, Institute of Solid State Physcis, University of Latvia (ISSP UL)
Project partners: Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (BMC)
Total funding: 200 000 EUR
Project description:
Up to 20% of infections acquired in hospitals and community settings are associated with contaminated surfaces, highlighting the need for continuous and effective surface hygiene. Traditional disinfection methods usually require frequent repetition and are labor-intensive. Therefore, there is growing interest in antimicrobial coatings that can provide long-lasting and passive protection.
The aim of this project is to develop sprayable, polymer-based biocidal coatings that are easy to apply, durable, and visually unobtrusive. At the same time, the coatings will be optically active, enabling real-time, non-invasive monitoring of their presence and functionality.
The optical functionalities integrated into the coatings will allow the use of luminescence signals to detect the presence of the coating. In addition, surface activity monitoring approaches will be developed to directly assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of the coating on the surface.
This research addresses a significant limitation of existing antimicrobial technologies and aims to increase the technology readiness level from an experimental proof of concept (TRL 3) to a functional prototype (TRL 4).